Co Tyrone businessman and athlete Nigel Davidson aims for World Championship success in Stockholm

Davidson, who owns Artafex Ltd, a successful floor and wall tiling business based outside Cookstown, will line up in the Men's Pro 50-54 age group category against some of the world's best endurance athletes on June 19.

His remarkable Hydrox journey began little more than a year ago following a volunteering trip to the Glasgow Hyrox event in 2025 with his daughter, Emily.

Reflecting on that day, Davidson recalls how Emily's encouragement sparked a new challenge.

"Emily said, 'Daddy, why don't we volunteer at Glasgow Hyrox and see what Hyrox is all about? I think you would be good at it.'"

The father-and-daughter duo thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and Nigel left inspired to test himself in competition.

Following months of dedicated training, Davidson entered Hyrox Dublin, where he competed in the Men's category in November 2025. Producing an outstanding performance, he won his age group with an impressive time of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 20 seconds.

That victory secured qualification for the European Championships. However, after discovering that his race was scheduled for a Sunday, Davidson made the decision not to compete.

Rather than dwell on the disappointment, he quickly set his sights on a new goal.

Realising that a victory in the Men's Pro category at Hyrox Glasgow in March 2026 would earn him a place at the Hyrox World Championships, Davidson committed himself to a more demanding training programme.

His hard work paid off. Competing against stronger opposition in the Men's Pro division, he once again won his age category, crossing the finish line in an impressive time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and 25 seconds and securing his coveted place at the World Championships in Stockholm.

Since then, Davidson has focused his attention on preparing for the biggest race of his life.

"Training has been going reasonably well," he said. "The standard at the World Championships will be extremely high, but I'm looking forward to the challenge and hoping to achieve a podium finish."

Balancing the demands of running a successful business with the rigours of elite-level training has required considerable dedication, but Davidson's determination has carried him from volunteer to world championship competitor in little over a year.

As he prepares to take on the world's best in Stockholm, the Cookstown athlete will carry with him the support of his family, friends, customers and the wider local community. You can follow his journey on instagram #artafexathelete.

Whatever the outcome on June 19, Davidson's story is already an inspiring example of how encouragement, commitment and hard work can transform a simple volunteering experience into an opportunity to compete on the world stage.

Hyrox is a global competition that combines running with functional workout stations. Since its launch, it has exploded in popularity, selling out events with up to 50.000 participants from London to New York. The format is simple yet brutal: 8 kilometers of running and 8 functional workouts (like rowing, sled push, and wall balls) designed to test every facet of human performance. The fastest athlete wins.